Slim Chances

Zubat's scream was anything but ordinary; it was the move astonish. As Banette's focus was on Gunne, Zubat managed to easily make it flinch by catching it off guard.

Behind it, Growlithe and Aron cried out, running at their fastest speed towards Banette.

"Here's our chance!"

Waving his hand, Gunne felt energy flow throughout his body as he used helping hand, greatly boosting the two's powers.

"Grr!"

Growlithe unleashed a growl as a newfound empowerment surged within his body. His jaw snapped open and he shot towards Banette's arm, crunching down on it with his canines.

Splutter!

A black substance, like that of blood, spilt from the wound, splattering in all directions.

Banette screeched out in pain, feeling its arm pang as the canine's sharp teeth tore into it.

This wasn't any normal move—it was crunch1.

Being a dark type move, it was highly effective against ghost types.

"Ar! Aron!"

Boom!

Before it could regain its bearings, Banette felt a massive force bash into its back, throwing it onto the ground with a heavy bang.

The force behind its falling body raged for five meters in all directions, breaking apart the terrain and leaving Banette in a daze.

"Arrh!" Aron cried out victoriously, its head flashing as it had just used iron head.

Thanks to one of its abilities, heavy metal, Aron's weight was doubled. Thus its iron head seemed to have the force of a train behind it, dealing massive damage capable of knocking Banette onto the ground.

Every move so far had chained together into an efficient combo, their all-out assault giving them a chance against the fearsome opponent.

"Quick! Keep it stunned—"

Gunne had just started to speak when Banette unzippered its mouth, a dreadful energy spilling out from within.

"Jie jie jie!"

With a shrewd laugh, Banette's grudge energy, which had arduously been built over an excruciatingly long period of time, was being expelled at a rapid pace.

Within this energy, Gunne could make out strange gleams and shimmers, shapes taking form all throughout.

Hum. Hum.

Gunne covered his ears, strong vibrations all around him.

"Kakaka!" Banette laughed, zipping its mouth once again and stopping the outflow of grudge energy.

Now, Gunne realized what it had done...

Many smaller ghosts had formed, though they were nowhere near as menacing as Banette. These were the unevolved form of Banette, known as Shuppet.

Their bodies were formed from grudge energy, but a very tiny amount compared to their origin.

Still, there had to be over fifty of them!

Simultaneously, they all wailed with horrific screams, piercing Gunne and company's ears.

"Ah!" Gunne cried out, covering his ears.

Letting out a sharp whine, Growlithe was thrown from Banette's arm, landing on the ground with a heavy thud where it lay weakly.

Aron and Zubat's came crashing down shortly after, their bodies flailing onto the ground.

At the same time, the many Shuppet vanishing into nothingness, sneaking within the shadows from where they threw out several shadow balls.

Their moves went right through Gunne, but the others weren't so lucky as they were pounded into the ground from all directions.

"I need to help them..." Gunne unsteadily rose from the ground, blood leaking from his lips.

Just as he moved forward, a dark shadow loomed over him from above.

Banette was aware that the shuppets couldn't inflict any pain onto Gunne, and so it would take Gunne as its own target.

Coldness flashed in Gunne's eyes and he made a sudden movement, two clones splitting from his body as he used double team.

He needed to take care of Banette as soon as possible, and he now had a new plan!

If he could forcefully unzip Banette's mouth and hold it open as all the grudge energy dispersed from within, he might be able to defeat it!

"Ke!" Banette's body roused with dark energy and it swiped its hand downwards, blasting Gunne over six meters back and onto the ground.

Bang!

"Agh! Damn, that hurt!" Gunne grinded his teeth in pain. It felt like his insides were shaken up by the fall, thrown into a coughing fit as he spit up a magenta colored blood.

Heavy steps sounded.

Looking up, Gunne watched in horror as impending death loomed just over him.

"ZUUUU!" "ARRRAAAHH!"

Zubat and Aron shrieked in distress.

Without any concern for their own well-being, they used what little energy they had left to charge forward to save Gunne, only to be knocked back by the many shuppet hiding in the shadows.

"Awooo!"

Growlithe, despite not being one of Gunne's Pokémon, immediately ignited itself into a ball of fire as it fought desperately, but there were just too many opponents.

He made it past four, only to be knocked down and beaten by an entire horde of them!

Was all hope lost?

From the mansion, Riolu burst through the doors, leaving Jenny on her own.

She didn't have the ability to do anything, knowing that following Riolu would only caused more harm than good.

Her dear partner, Growlithe, as well as all her new friends in danger. Biting her lips anxiously, she could only hope for a miracle.

In the field of battle.

"RIO!"

Ushering a low bellow in desperation, Riolu forced all of his strength into his legs, leaping towards Banette with a ferocious growl filled with killing intent.

BANG!

"Rwaaah!"

Riolu was smacked away easily, his head buried into the ground as he lay motionlessly.

Gunne watched in horror, feeling a warm moisture in his eyes as hot tears bubbled up, streaming uncontrollably down his face.

'What... What am I supposed to do? W-We can't beat something like this!'

Banette had lived for so long and its power easily outmatched theirs. Was there even a point in resisting when all seemed futile?

His left arm was still far from recovered, and whatever internal organs he had as a ditto were injured after suffering that earlier strike.

It was all over....

"Gunne!" "I'll save you!"

Two people yelled out at nearly the same time, the first being Jenny as she started running from the mansion, mustering as much strength as any human could.

And the second voice was clearly Timothy!

Gunne looked over at the woods, his mouth quickly dropping in shock.

Timothy's voice was coming from what appeared to be a floating tree stump?

'Is-Is that Timothy?! Did something devour him?!'

Gunne felt his heart drop, but without even realizing it, he activated the Pokédex.

[Entry #708]

• Phantump • Type: Ghost/Grass • Bio: Phantump, the Stump Pokémon. Born of decay and animated by restless spirits, they haunt desolate forests, drifting aimlessly with hollowed gazes. Their spirits are said to be trapped between the realm of life and death.

"Decayed tree stumps possessed by spirits?! Is that really you, Timothy?! Now you've become an actual pokémon as well?!"

Timothy eagerly flew towards Gunne, "I don't really understand what happened either! But for now, let's focus on cleaning up this mess! Banette, I have a score to settle with you!"

Despite the haunting figure looming over him, Gunne let out a sigh of relief.

As slim as it may be, there was now a chance of survival!

'I almost gave up before I even died,' Gunne's eyes blazed with a newfound determination, 'My partners are relying on me. If I just give up and die, who will protect them? I... I have to win.'